South Carolina Meets Equally Hungry Gonzaga In Final Four

Nobody outside of Columbia expected the South Carolina Gamecocks to find themselves in the Final Four. But Sindarius Thornwell and company are just one win away from the program’s first ever NCAAB championship final. However, South Carolina will need to get past an equally hungry Gonzaga Bulldogs team that is looking to finally win the big one for the program.

SHARK BITES
  • Gonzaga is 21-7-2 ATS in its last 30 games.
  • The total has gone UNDER in 21 of South Carolina's last 30 games as underdog.
  • Gonzaga is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games against the SEC.

South Carolina has been talked about all season long by the hard-core college hoops fan thanks to its phenomenal defense. So far during March Madness, the Gamecocks have held opponents to 68.5 points per game and a meager 31.6 percent from beyond the arc while also forcing at least 16 turnovers in all four games. Defensively, the weight of this game may fall on the shoulders of Chris Silva and Maik Kotsar. The tandem will have their hands full down low trying to contain Gonzaga’s many bigs.

We can’t forget about South Carolina’s offense, which has been doing just enough to get by. Frank Martin’s system isn’t exactly revolutionary on this end of the court – the team ranks in the bottom third in the nation in assists and 3-point percentage – but it gets the job done thanks to the backcourt. Thornwell, PJ Dozier and Duane Notice have accounted for 63.4 percent of the Gamecocks’ points during March Madness.

Gonzaga’s defense has been mostly stellar, with the Bulldogs holding opponents to under 60 points three times in four tournament games while only allowing opponents to drain 33.5 percent of their shots. However, the big-bodied Zags need to start boxing out better, as they are allowing 13.5 offensive rebounds per game during March Madness.

It has been touch and go for Gonzaga offensively but the squad had its best performance in the Elite Eight against overmatched Xavier. The Bulldogs scored 83 points – the most they’ve scored in a game since February 23 – and shot 50 percent from three. All-American Nigel Williams-Goss continues to get to the line and convert but the most consistent shooter for Gonzaga has been Johnathan Williams. During the second weekend of March Madness, the junior averaged 16 points and shot 63.2 percent.

South Carolina Gamecocks vs Gonzaga Bulldogs Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

The Gonzaga Bulldogs sit at 36-1 (24-10-2 ATS) on the college basketball season. By comparison, the South Carolina Gamecocks are currently 26-10 (16-18 ATS). Looking to bet on the total points scored? Gonzaga is 18-18 OU, and South Carolina is 14-19-1 OU.

It's a betting matchup between the No. 2-rated Gonzaga Bulldogs and the No. 168-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks, according to the latest pro hoops power rankings here at Odds Shark.

Statistical Matchup

When it comes to rebounds, the visiting South Carolina Gamecocks rank No. 113 in NCAA Basketball Division 1 with 36.33 per game. That compares with Gonzaga’s No. 7 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where Gonzaga is college basketball's No. 145-ranked team at 7.27 per game, while the South Carolina Gamecocks rate No. 182 with 6.69 per game.

Recent Outings Betting Recap

The Gamecocks got 26 points from Sindarius Thornwell as South Carolina ran past Florida 77-70 on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

The Bulldogs blew out Xavier on Saturday, running up a 20+ point victory in a 83-59 win at SAP Center.

Gonzaga is 21-7-2 ATS in its last 30 games.home The total has gone UNDER in 21 of South Carolina's last 30 games as underdog.away Gonzaga is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games against the SEC.home
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